If you would like to support the #occupy movement, but you don’t want to sleep overnight in a city park, here’s an article listing ways for you to help. Item number three on the list is that you shouldn’t hesitate to speak up.
I know people who absolutely support the ideology of OWS, but who remain silent as church mice on the topic. I also know people who kinda like the idea, but aren’t really sure they want to align themselves just yet.
Here’s a little tough love for you: If you’re not helping, you’re hindering. That’s the truth of it. We all have our lives, our work, the pressing needs of our unique realities to deal with. But out there are hundreds of people taking a break from their own demanding realities to sleep on the ground, in the rain, making themselves vulnerable to police aggression and whatever other intrusions come with sleeping night after night in a public place under scrutiny.
#Occupy St. Louis (Photo by Erich Vieth)
If you like the idea of OWS, and feel excited about the sorts of changes we might begin to see in our society, say so. Out loud. To friends, family and partners. On the internet. In line at the grocery store. Talk to people. Talk about the movement. Apathy’s not cool any more.
Erich Vieth is an attorney focusing on civil rights (including First Amendment), consumer law litigation and appellate practice. At this website often writes about censorship, corporate news media corruption and cognitive science. He is also a working musician, artist and a writer, having founded Dangerous Intersection in 2006. Erich lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his two daughters.
Most of the occupations are gathering little attention from the corporate media, except for negative coverage where police violence , or arrests are spun against the protesters. I have been asking everyone if they’ve heard about the protests, and most people haven’t, most haven’t heard, but a few that have are the big talk radio fans who think the protesters are a bunch o f dirty freedom hating communists.
I think I have turned a few. I ask them if they have ever tried to communicate with their senators, congressman or another person representing them in the legislature. Most have not. I then point out that we the commoners can’t be heard by our representatives as our elected officials surround themselves with aids whose jobs are defined to block the communications of all but the wealthiest few.
Hello, I invite you to subscribe to Dangerous Intersection by entering your email below. You will have the option to receive emails notifying you of new posts once per week or more often.
Most of the occupations are gathering little attention from the corporate media, except for negative coverage where police violence , or arrests are spun against the protesters. I have been asking everyone if they’ve heard about the protests, and most people haven’t, most haven’t heard, but a few that have are the big talk radio fans who think the protesters are a bunch o f dirty freedom hating communists.
I think I have turned a few. I ask them if they have ever tried to communicate with their senators, congressman or another person representing them in the legislature. Most have not. I then point out that we the commoners can’t be heard by our representatives as our elected officials surround themselves with aids whose jobs are defined to block the communications of all but the wealthiest few.